Vulture

"Those goofy mercs are still using Vultures, can ya believe it? Damn things are death traps even when you ain't got people shooting at ya.""Careful now, Swann. My old Vulture saved my skin more times than I care to remember. I ain't gonna listen to you trash talk a classic piece of engineering like that.""Classic?! I suppose you could call 'em that. 'Course most folks like a bike that don't explode on them when the repeller seals freeze up, or when the fuel cells start leaking radioactive waste - but hey, who cares if it's a 'classic,' right?"

Physical

Race

Type

Propulsion

Max. speed

Armaments

Political

Role

Skirmishing

Salvaging

Recon

Patrol

Personnel

Crew

1 (pilot), 1 passenger (optional)

The vulture-class hover bike (a.k.a. vulture hover cycle)[1] is a terranhoverbike used mainly for scouting. Despite its reputation as a deathtrap, it is still considered a classic piece of engineering by enthusiasts.[2]

The vulture is designed with speed and reliability in mind.[3] Its limited gravity hover technology allows the bike to travel over rough terrain with little loss of traction or speed, and reach speeds up to 230 miles per hour.[1] Three men could overload a bike.[4] Their magnetic frequency can also be adjusted to make it easier to cross some obstacles (e.g. the tracks used by maglev trains).[5] An onboard computer and sensors mounted in the "nose" of the craft keeps it at a steady pace for most of the time[6] and a navigation system is present.[5] These features make the vulture suitable for patrolling the vast wildernesses typically found around terran colonies.[3] They produce a humming whine as they move.[7] Vultures can operate in low gravity or zero gravity through built in gravity accelerators that allow them utilize artificial gravity.[8]

The bike can catastrophically fail if the repulsors freeze up, or the fuel cells begin leaking radioactive material.[9][10] The vulture's driver seat can be enclosed depending on model, customization, or operating environment[11] and can be configured for someone to ride shotgun.[6][12] A C-14 rifle can be holstered on the side of the vehicle's nose.[13]

Technology similar to that found in the vulture is available in civilian hoverbikes, such as the 428 hoverbike.[14]

Vultures are ill-suited for heavy combat, given their light frame.[3][11] However, they make excellent skirmishers, especially against lightly armored targets.[3] In the Confederate Armed Forces, vultures operated as cavalry-style vanguard units, speeding ahead of military columns, scouting and wreaking havoc on resource operations behind enemy lines.[18] In some occasions, vultures were formed into small squadrons, usually attached to mechanized infantry. Given the speed at which the bikes move however, it was difficult to maintain cohesion.[11]

Vultures are also tasked with scavenging ("scavenger hover bike" is a term occasionally used).[7]

The vulture remained in use by the Dominion Armed Forces.[21] Dominion Ghost Program trainees begin training in the use of vultures in their second year.[14] Their role was diminished when the Dominion turned to the hellion to meet its military scouting needs.[18] However, even after the End War, vultures can still be found in use by the Dominion Armed Forces.[13] They also continue to be used by rebel and mercenary groups,[22] and are especially popular with pirates and raiders.[18]Prospectors also continue to use vultures.[23]

This article or section contains information about StarCraft: Ghost, which has been declared non-canon. Elements may be taken as 'flavor lore' however.The content may be significantly out of date. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details.

The vulture unit in StarCraft: Ghost is still a lightly-armored fast-moving vehicle. It is armed with either an AGP-2 "Thumper" Grenade Launcher[15] or a laser cannon.[16] Capable of being used by ghosts and light infantry, it is nonetheless vulnerable to enemy attacks, including having the vehicle stolen from underneath the driver.